Forever and Always
by H-Mira
Summary: HitsuHina AU. Ever since her parents died when she was 5, Hinamori has been staying with Hitsugaya and his grandmother. Now, on the 15th anniversary of the death of her parents, she's reunited with her long lost uncle who states that he wants to adopt her into his rich family. Now, Hinamori is faced with a difficult choice: to stay with the familiar or to go with the unknown?
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to _Forever and Always_!**

 **This is my first attempt at a HitsuHina AU, so I hope this story turns out okay.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1:

Hinamori Momo only had a few memories of her parents. Most of them were pretty foggy, but there was one that was clear as day. She remembered her mother's laughing face as her father tried desperately to fix whatever small mistake he had made. She remembered that it was a rather comical scene as her father fumbled around desperately in an attempt to fix whatever had happened while her mother merely stood off to the side laughing at her husband. Since that was her only real memory of her parents, she cherished it deeply.

She wished she had more memories of her parents, but she could only really recall that one. Yet, that was to be expected. After all, they had died in a car crash when she was just 5 years old.

The time shortly after her parents' passing was a real blur for her. It had all happened so fast. One moment she was playing with her neighbour as she waited for her parents to come home, and the next she was whisked away to attend their funeral. She faintly remembered adult's trying to comfort her at the time, but she couldn't remember exactly what they said or did.

However, she knew that she wasn't alone at the time. Her neighbours, the Hitsugaya's, had taken great care of her while the issue of custody was taking place. Since her father was an orphan and her mother had cut all ties with her family members, no one knew what would become of her.

In the end, the Hitsugaya family decided to take her in. Despite the fact that the elderly grandmother already had her hands full with raising her orphaned biological grandson, the elderly woman still welcomed Hinamori into her home with opened arms. When people would ask the elderly Hitsugaya why she decided to take the Hinamori child in, the grandmother would merely state that the poor girl was pretty much family anyway, so it just made sense that she should be the one to take her in.

Hinamori was forever grateful for the kindness the elder showed that day by taking her in. Just when it seemed like she had no one to turn to, the elderly Hitsugaya was there to welcome her with warm arms. Had it not been for her, who knows what would have become of the her child.

In any event, it was decided shortly after the death of her parents that Hinamori would be staying with the Hitsugaya. And that's where she had happily lived ever since. While nobody would ever be able to replace her real parents in her heart, Hinamori still deeply treasured the warmth and support she had gotten from the elderly woman over the last 15 years.

Hinamori also treasured the relationship she had developed with the elderly woman's grandson over the last 15 years as well. Her grandson, Hitsugaya Toshiro, had been Hinamori's closest friend for as long as she could remember. The two of them had always been close, even before Hinamori had moved in with him and his grandmother. And now, with all the years spent in each other's constant company, the two were practically inseparable.

Most people were surprised to see the two of them together, mainly because the two were such opposites. Toshiro, who had bright white hair and a cold demeanor, was the polar opposite of Momo, who had raven coloured hair and was extremely friendly and kind to others. Yet, the two complemented each other so well. They just managed to bring out the best and the worst in each other.

Hinamori couldn't help but smile as she recalled her journey that brought her to where she was today. As she was walking back home from her university class with her childhood friend, she was feeling nostalgic as she was remembering her childhood. Sure, she had been orphaned at five years old, but Hinamori still didn't consider her childhood to be a sad one. And she had Mrs. Hitsugaya and Toshiro to thank for that.

"Geez, Hinamori, would you quit spacing out?" Hitsugaya said as he looked questioningly at his childhood friend. "You're gonna walk into something if you don't pay attention to where you're going."

"Huh? Ack!" Hinamori exclaimed as she walked right into a lamp post. "Ouch… That hurt…" she muttered as she began to massage her forehead.

"Told you" Hitsugaya stated as he watched his friend massage her head in pain. "Come on, let me take a look at it" he began as he removed Hinamori's hand from her forehead so he could examine the wound. "You have a bit of a mark, but it should be gone by tomorrow."

"That's good to hear!" Hinamori happily replied as she began to make her way home once more. She then slowed down a bit in order to allow her childhood friend to catch up with her. That's when a certain realization hit her. _Tomorrow, huh_ she thought as her expression became unreadable _So it's that time of year again already._

Almost as though he knew exactly what was going through her mind, Hitsugaya interrupted her thoughts. "Since tomorrow's Saturday and I managed to get the day off work, I figured you, me, and Oba-san could go visit your parents tomorrow morning. That way, we'll be able to get there before the crowd comes and actually have some peace and quiet. Unlike last year..."

Hinamori simply nodded in response. Tomorrow would mark the fifteenth anniversary of her parent's death. It just so happened that tomorrow was also the anniversary of a plane crash, which made tomorrow a very popular day for people to be visiting the local cemetery. Last year, the three of them had been unlucky and had gotten caught up in the crowd of mourners there to say hello to their departed loved ones. This year, they were determined not to make the same mistake.

In any event, the two childhood friends made the rest of their way home in silence. While it wasn't necessarily an uncomfortable silence, Hitsugaya knew better than to talk to Hinamori while she was so consumed by the thought of her parents. Right now, he knew she just needed to be alone with her thoughts. That being said, if she ever did want to talk to him about it, he vowed that he would be there to listen.

Seeing Hinamori reflect so heavily on the death of her parents also made Hitsugaya think of his own. They had died shortly after he was born, so he didn't really remember them. In fact, he rarely ever thought of them. The only times he ever did was when he would see Hinamori silently mourning the death of her own beloved parents. While a part of him wished he had the same sentimental feeling that she had for his own parents, he just couldn't bring himself to feel that way for people he had never really known. As far as he was concerned, his only true parent was his grandmother. And for him, she was all he would ever need.

"Welcome home, you two" Mrs. Hitsugaya said as she greeted her grandson and Hinamori, who had just arrived at home. The two childhood friends were interrupted from their thoughts as they looked at their smiling grandmother. "Now, come inside. Dinner is ready."

"Alright!" Hinamori exclaimed as she happily followed her grandmother into the house. Hitsugaya merely shrugged in response before making his own way into their home.

The three of them happily ate their meals while engaging in light conservation. Well, to be more specific, Hinamori and Mrs. Hitsugaya happily ate their dinner and chatted while Hitsugaya quietly ate his supper and watched them.

"I'll take care of the dishes!" Hinamori exclaimed as she finished her supper and sat up. She then brought everyone's dishes to the kitchen before beginning to wash them.

While Hinamori was in the other room and out of earshot, Toshiro took advantage of the situation to ask his grandmother a question that kept bugging him every year around this time. "Oba-san, why did you never officially adopt Hinamori? I mean, she has been living here with us since she was five. So why not do it?"

Now, Toshiro asked his grandmother this question every year around the anniversary of Hinamori's parent's death. And every year, his grandmother would merely laugh his question off while refusing to give a concrete reply. So there was really no reason to think that this year would be any different. However, this year was different since his grandmother finally decided to give him an actual answer to his question.

"Oh, dear, I never officially adopted her so that you two could avoid any meddlesome legal barriers in the future" she answered as she gave her grandson a knowing smile.

"Huh?" he replied dumbfounded. After all these years, she had finally given him an answer. Unfortunately, he had absolutely no idea what she meant. "What do you mean? What kind of legal barriers?"

"Well," she began as her knowing smile turned into a grin. "I'm talking about the legal barrier of being related. Since you two were never considered as kin in the eyes of the law, there will be no legal barriers for the two of you when you both get married to each other in the future."

Toshiro spit out his drink as a deep shade of red began to dominate his face. "W-What are you talking about?!" he stammered as he tried to regain his breath after nearly choking on his drink.

His grandmother merely offered him another knowing smile in response, which indicated that he should know full well what she was talking about. Just as he was about to protest to his grandmother once again, Hinamori entered the room once more.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked with a questioning look on her face.

"N-Nothing" Toshiro abruptly replied as he sat up. "I'm going to grab a shower" he added before making his way out of the room.

"Hmm? Did I miss something?" Hinamori whispered as she watched her friend leave the room.

* * *

Hitsugaya laid awake in his bed, unable to sleep. He aimlessly rolled from side to side in an attempt to fall asleep, all to no avail. As much as he tried, just couldn't shake the bad feeling forming in his gut. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling something bad was going to happen soon.

"Hitsugaya-kun, are you awake?" a voice whispered, breaking him from his thoughts. Hitsugaya looked up to see Hinamori dressed in her pajamas as she stood in his doorway.

"Hmm? What is it, Hinamori?" he replied as he looked questioningly at his childhood friend. She appeared flushed as she nervously looked at him.

"Um, well…" she whispered as she lowered her gaze. She then began to twiddle her thumbs as she tried to find a way to tell him what she had come to his room for.

Seeing his childhood friend act so nervous, Hitsugaya was able to guess why she had come to his room so late. "Come, on. No point in just standing there." he stated as he motioned to the spot next to him on his bed with his hand.

"Huh? How did you.." Hinamori muttered as her eyes widened. Here she was, desperately trying to think of a way to ask him if she could sleep in his bed tonight, yet he had just outright blurted out for her to join him.

"Because I know you, Hinamori. And every time you can't sleep, you come here with the same dumb look on your face. So just come here already. You're letting all the cool air out of my room." Hitsugaya stated bluntly as he motioned once again for her to lie down in the spot next to him.

Hinamori shyly nodded in response as she walked towards him. She then carefully climbed into the bed. Once she was settled in, she suddenly curled up next to Hitsugaya, causing him to blush.

"Thank you, Shiro-chan…" she whispered as she felt herself falling asleep.

Hitsugaya gently smiled as he watched his childhood fall asleep beside him. "You're welcome… Bed-wetter." he said right before falling asleep himself.

* * *

The next morning, the three of them woke up fairly early and were on their way to the local cemetery by 8am. Since none of them were necessarily early risers, they basically got ready in an almost zombie-like state as they prepared everything they would need for their visit.

Only as they were making their way up the hill towards the graves, did Hinamori begin to wake up and process where exactly she was going. As every other year before, she felt mixed emotions as she walked up the hill. It was always sad for her to see her parents graves, which was a permanent reminder of what had happened to them all those years ago. Yet, it was still nice to see them, if only for the fact that she got to hear stories about them from Mrs. Hitsugaya whenever the three of them would visit.

Once they had reached the top of the hill, they noticed a man standing before the Hinamori grave stones. He was dressed in an elegant suit and appeared to be in his mid-forties. As they got closer to him, they noticed that he had an unreadable expression on his face as he stared intently at the grave in front of him.

"Um, excuse me," Hinamori said shyly, causing the man to turn and look her. "Did you know my parents, by any chance?"

The man's eyes widened as he looked at her. A million of emotions seemed to have crossed his face before he finally settled on one: delight.

"Momo-chan!" the man exclaimed as he rushed towards Hinamori and crushed her in a back breaking hug. "It's so good to finally see you!"

Hinamori, Toshiro, and Mrs. Hitsugaya stood frozen in shock as the unknown man embraced Hinamori. Toshiro, being the first one to recover from his shock, suddenly yanked the man away from Hinamori and glared at him. "Just who the hell are you!?" he angrily asked as he felt his blood begin to boil.

"Well, aren't you a polite one" the man said sarcastically as he looked down at Toshiro. He then brushed some imaginary dirt off his shoulder before answering the question. "For your information, my name Futari Ryotaro. And I'm Momo's uncle."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The three of them stood in shock while staring at the man who had just claimed to be Hinamori's uncle. Never before had any of them even heard of this man. Yet, here he was, standing confidently in front of them with his arms crossed while he waited for the three of them to process the information he had just given them.

And just as before, Toshiro was the first to recover from his shock. "You're her… uncle?" he slowly asked as he furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Yes, boy, I'm her uncle" the man called Futari Ryotaro replied as he turned to addressed the younger Hitsugaya. "Did you not hear what I just said?"

Toshiro's right eye twitched as he felt a sudden rush of annoyance rush over him. "Listen you, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but-" he began but was immediately interrupted by Futari.

"Didn't you hear me? I just told you that I was Momo's uncle. You're not very bright, are you boy?" Futari said as he eyed an annoyed Toshiro.

"What did you just say….?" Toshiro growled as his annoyance turned to anger. Just as he was about to say something else, he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. He turned his head around to see that the hand belonged to Hinamori. Seeing her slightly shake her head from side to side, he felt his anger extinguish as he decided not to further edge on the man claiming to be her uncle.

Satisfied that her childhood friend wasn't going to further escalate the situation, Hinamori decided to continue the conversation with the mysterious man. "Futari-san, was it?" she asked as her self-proclaimed uncle turned his head to properly address her. "Is what you said true? Are you really my... uncle?"

"Well of course I am, Momo-chan!" Futari replied as he graced Hinamori with a dazzling smile. "Why on earth wouldn't I be?"

"Well, um, because…" Hinamori muttered as her gaze shifted to the ground. Seeing his childhood struggling with her response, Toshiro decided to respond in her place.

"It's because you haven't been around" he stated bluntly with his arms crossed over his chest. "If you were really her uncle, you would have been there for her when her parents died. So where were you then? If you're really who you say you are, what's your excuse for not being there for her?"

Futari Ryotaro eyed Toshiro for a moment. Sighing, he finally decided that the younger Hitsugaya had made a valid point. A point that deserved to be addressed. "I have been there for her. Or, at least, I tried to be..." he replied before turning his attention once again to Hinamori. "You see, Momo, I'm your uncle from your mother's side. And as I'm sure you know, your mother cut all ties with her family once she married your father. What happened was that your grandfather disapproved of her marriage to your father. Because of this, he made her choose between marrying him and still being apart of the family. And as I'm sure you've guessed, she choose your father."

After pausing for a moment to allow Hinamori to digest this information, Futari decided to continue. "So, she left. Without so much as a single goodbye, your mother ran off and eloped. I remember father being quite furious when he found out what she did. Because of his anger and his pride, he forbade any of us from trying to seek her out. He really was such a stubborn old man, even to his dying breath…" A solemn look then made its way onto his face as he appeared to be reliving some sort of memory in his head.

After another moment had passed, Futari shook his head and decided to continue with his explanation. "So years passed without a single word from your mother. I had heard from some family friends that she had given birth to a daughter, but that was the extent of what I knew of her new life. And then, one day, I got a letter saying that she had passed away… Truth be told, I didn't know how to react. I hadn't seen her since the day she left home and never came back, but she was still my sister. No petty dispute could ever change that. So, I tried to find out all I could about her and her family in the hopes of being able to do something, _anything_ for her. Unfortunately, I had only gotten the letter a year after she had passed, and by then it was too late. You were already gone and settled in with another family."

Futari then took Hinamori's right hand into his own as he look deeply into her eyes. "So please, Momo, don't you ever think that I never tried to look for you. Because I really did. Do you think you could ever find it in your heart to forgive my absence from your life?"

"O-Of course, Futari-san!" Hinamori exclaimed as a single tear ran down her cheek to show just how moved she was by his story.

"Oh thank you, Momo-chan!" her uncle exclaimed as he wrapped his niece into another back-breaking hug. "You're truly are a saint in a world of sinners!"

As they watched the scene taking place in front of them, the two Hitsugaya's didn't know how to react. Mrs. Hitsugaya was still in shock about Futari Ryotaro's existence as well as his relation to Hinamori. Toshiro was in a similar state of shock, but there was skepticism mixed in with it. There was just something about Futari's story that just didn't make sense to him. However, he decided not to voice this concern. It really was just a gut feeling, so it wasn't yet worth destroying the happiness his childhood friend was feeling about being reunited with her long lost uncle.

Finally seeming to remember the presence of the two Hitsugaya's, Hinamori let go of her uncle. Seeing that her uncle looked slightly disappointed that she had pulled away from him, she gave him a smile reassuring him that he shouldn't be worried about her sudden action.

"Well, I think it's about time I get going then" Futari said as he straightened himself up. "I'd say I've been away from the office for long enough."

"Oh? Do you have to leave so soon?" Hinamori asked as a disappointed expression began to dominate her face.

"Don't fret, my dear." her uncle replied with a wink. "You'll be seeing me again. After all, I've finally found you, so don't you think I'll be letting you go again so easily."

"Well, if that's the case, then why not join the three of us for supper this evening?" Mrs. Hitsugaya said with a gentle smile that was now replacing her shocked expression. "I was planning on cooking Momo's favourite tonight."

"Oh, thank you so much, Mrs. Hitsugaya!" Futari exclaimed with a face full of delight. "I would love to join you for supper! Would it be alright if I stopped by at around 7? I unfortunately have a meeting until 6:30 that I simply cannot miss."

"7 it is then." the elder replied with the same smile on her face. "And would you like to have our house phone number? It would be a lot easier to get in contact again if you had it."

"What a lovely idea! Of course, I would love to have it!" Hinamori's uncle replied as he quickly took out his phone and began to input the telephone number Mrs. Hitsugaya was giving him. Once that was done, he gave them a quick farewell and headed back down the hill towards the cemetery entrance.

Hinamori, Toshiro, and Mrs. Hitsugaya watched Futari walk further away and out of sight. Even once they could no longer see his figure in the distance, the three of them stood frozen in place while they stared at the spot where he had just been. Now that the reality of the situation was finally settling in, the three of them weren't too sure how to act.

"Well, he was definitely… Something." Mrs Hitsugaya said as she turned to face her grandchild and his childhood friend.

"You've got that right." Toshiro replied as he turned around and faced the direction of the Hinamori grave stones. "Anyway, we should go pay our respects before the crowd starts to arrive."

"R-Right." Hinamori stuttered in response as she pulled her gaze away from the spot her long lost uncle had been just minutes before and headed towards her parents graves.

* * *

The three then silently prayed in front of the graves and each vowed different things to the deceased parents. Mrs. Hitsugaya vowed that she would look continue to look after Hinamori, just as she had done for the last fifteen years. Toshiro vowed the same, though he also added that he would kill anyone who dared to hurt her. And Hinamori, well, she vowed that she would do her best to cherish the life they had given her.

"Oh shoot," Mrs. Hitsugaya suddenly exclaimed as she roused Toshiro and Hinamori from their prayers. "I forgot to give Futari-san our address. Oh well, I guess he'll simply call and ask for it later. Also, we should probably head on home now. I can already see the crowd start to form at the bottom of the hill."

"Oh, you're right" Hinamori stated as she noticed the crowd as well. "We better get going then."

Mrs. Hitsugaya and Hinamori then began to walk towards the entrance at the bottom of the hill. Noticing that her childhood friend wasn't following them, she turned around to see him intently staring at her parents' graves. Noticing that he was taking under his breath, she took a step closer in the hopes of hearing what he was saying.

"I swear, I'll do whatever it takes... So please, rest easy. I promise, I'll never let anything happen to her." Hinamori heard him whisper as his hands clutched into fists. Hinamori felt her cheeks begin to flush at his comment. Noticing that Toshiro was about to turn around and see her staring at him, Hinamori immediately spun around around in an attempt to hide her rose coloured cheeks.

Seeing his childhood friend just standing there with her back to him, Toshiro gave her a questioning look. It then dawned on him that she was close enough to be able to hear what he had just vowed to her parents. As he was about to ask if she _had_ overheard him, his grandmother called out for them to come down the hill and join her.

Hinamori, taking the chance that she was given, rushed off down the hill after her grandmother. Toshiro merely sighed as he watched her run off. _Oh well,_ he thought as he began to make his own way down the hill _It's not like it's necessarily a bad thing even if she did hear me._

* * *

 **Disclaimer:**

 **In order not to make things too confusing, I'll refer to Hitsugaya by his given name when his grandmother is around. That way, you won't have "Hitsugaya" and "Mrs. Hitsugaya" in the same sentence. I mean, there's no point in making it confusing when there's an easy alternative, right?**

 **Also, I know there haven't been too many HitsuHina moments yet. But don't worry! Once I set up the story, there'll be plenty of them!**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading!**

 **~ H-Mira**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

"Oba-san, are you sure you don't need any help in the kitchen?" Hinamori called out from the living to the elderly Hitsugaya cooking in the kitchen. Once the three of them had come home from their visit, Mrs. Hitsugaya immediately started getting things ready for supper that evening. In order for everything to be ready in time, she had to start cooking right away. Besides, they had an important guest to impress.

"Oh I'm fine, dear. You just relax and leave everything to me." Mrs. Hitsugaya happily replied from the kitchen.

Hinamori merely frowned in response. She hated doing nothing while someone else was hard at work.

Noticing his brooding friend, Toshiro sighed. "Just let her be, Hinamori." he said with his arms crossed over his chest. "You know how she gets on special occasions. So you might as well just save your breath and let her cook. You can always help with clean up later."

"I guess…" she muttered in response as her gaze shifted to the side. "I just hate not helping out is all…"

"I know, I know." Toshiro replied as he shook his head. "Look, if you really want to help out, give me a hand cleaning up the living room and dining room. We wouldn't want your uncle to think you've been raised in a pigsty."

"Okay!" Hinamori happily responded before beginning to tidy up the room.

Noticing his childhood friend cheerfully tidying the room, Toshiro sighed once again. Both rooms were already pretty clean, so he had only really said that so that she wouldn't feel so down about not helping his grandmother prepare dinner. _I swear, you're just too easy to read sometimes_ he thought to himself before going to give her a hand tidying the already clean rooms.

After a few minutes had passed with the two of them silently tidying up, the doorbell suddenly wrung. Knowing who must have been at the door, Hinamori dropped what she was doing and excitedly went to answer the door.

"Come on in, Futari-san!" she exclaimed with a bright smile on her face as she led her uncle into the house.

"Oh please, call me Ryotaro. It just won't due for you to call me by such a formal title!" he replied as he made his way in the house and into the livingroom.

"Alright, Futa-, I mean, Ryotaro-san." Hinamori said she followed him into the livingroom.

"Won't drop the -san, will you? Very well, I suppose baby steps are better than simply standing still." he replied with the shake of his head.

Meanwhile, watching the exchange between the two, Toshiro frowned. Once again, he was getting that feeling in his gut that told him to be cautious of Hinamori's uncle. As he was trying to figure out why he had that feeling, a realization dawned on him. _Oba-san never gave him our address_ he thought as his eyes began to narrow on Futari Ryotaro. _Nor did he call earlier to get it from her. So how the hell did he know where we lived?_

"Alright, everyone. Dinner is ready!" Mrs. Hitsugaya called out from the kitchen, causing Toshiro to be roused from his thoughts. "Now come grab a plate and dig in!"

"Great! Let's go grab some dinner, Ryotaro-san. Oba-san is the best cook, so you're in for a treat!" Hinamori exclaimed as she eagerly dragged her uncle into the kitchen.

After pausing a moment to watch his childhood friend happily drag her uncle into the kitchen, Toshiro decided to go and grab some food for himself. _It won't do any good to say anything now_ he thought as he made his way into the dining room with his food. _I'll just have to wait and see just what this guy does. One thing is certain though, I definitely can't let my guard down around him._

* * *

So the four of them ate the dinner that Mrs. Hitsugaya had spent the entire afternoon cooking. As they ate, Futari chatted away happily, easily charming those within his company. And, as much as Toshiro hated to admit it, he was starting to relax his guard around Hinamori's uncle too. Hearing the man happily chat away about everyday mundane things as though they were the most fascinating things in the world, Toshiro couldn't help but notice the similarities between Futari and his niece. It was because of this that the younger Hitsugaya unconsciously began to lower his guard around him.

And just as Toshiro was even about to participate in the conversation at hand, Futari suddenly decided to reveal his true motive for coming to see them this evening. "Say, Momo dear," the uncle abruptly spoke, causing the current conversation to die at once. "How do you feel about coming to live with me, your dear old uncle? I could officially adopt you into the Futari family and everything."

"Huh?" Mrs. Hitsugaya, Toshiro, and Hinamori exclaimed in unison as they tried not to choke on their food. Too surprised to say anything else, the three of them simply stared at Futari in shock as they tried to process what he had just said.

"Now, now, there's no need to act so surprised." Futari Ryotaro said as he looked upon the shocked faces before him. "After all, doesn't it just make sense for Momo-chan to come live with her uncle? I suppose it would be different if she were officially a member of your household, but you never actually adopted her, didn't you Hitsugaya-san? So there shouldn't be an issue for me, her uncle, to take custody of her."

Mrs. Hitsugaya merely continued to stare at Futari in shock, too stunned to even formulate a response. True, she had never actually adopted Hinamori for the specific reason she had told her grandson yesterday, but she never would have imagined that not officially adopting Hinamori could put them in such a vulnerable position.

"How do you know that Oba-san never adopted Hinamori, huh?! Why don't you answer me that!?" Toshiro exclaimed as he felt a sudden surge of anger rise in him. "And while you're at it, why don't you tell us how you just so happened to know where we lived?! It's not like we ever gave you our address!"

"Well, if you must know," Futari calmly replied as he returned the glare Toshiro was giving him. "I did some research this afternoon after having met the three of you this morning. After all, it just makes sense that an uncle be concerned about his niece's living arrangements. Anyway, as I was looking through the report one of my employees had made for me, I came across a few things, such as your home address."

Pausing for a moment to take a breath, Hinamori's uncle continued. "However, what really surprised me in that report, was the fact that Hinamori was never officially adopted into your family. As soon as I saw that, I figured that if you two didn't want her, I would gladly take her off of your hands."

"Who said we didn't want her!?" Toshiro yelled as his anger was beginning to get the better of him. "And where did you get that information from anyway!?"

"You really do have a lot of questions, boy" Futari stated in response with an annoyed look beginning to dominate his face. "Haven't you ever heard of the name Futari before? As the head of the Futari family, I'm in charge of the large financial assets our family owns as a result of all our business dealings. So, as someone who has millions upon millions of dollars at their disposal, do you honestly think that I couldn't manage to hire a private detective to gather all that information?"

Just as Toshiro was about to yell something else in response, he felt Hinamori place her hand on his shoulder. And, just as what happened at the grave site earlier that day, Toshiro felt his anger begin to evaporate at the sight of her. Settling for merely a loud sigh, he obediently sat himself back down.

 _Interesting_ Futari thought as he watched the younger Hitsugaya back down from their previous engage due to the interference of Hinamori. _It seems as though my niece has managed to tame herself a wild dog._

"Um, Ryotaro-san" Hinamori shyly began as she turned her gaze away from Toshiro and towards her uncle. "I, uh, appreciate your offer, but… Well... This is just going too fast. I mean, I don't even really know you yet. So how can I just move in with someone I don't know?"

"Well, if you're issue is that you simply don't feel you know me well enough, that can easily be fixed" Futari stated as he looked deeply into Hinamori's eyes. "How about this: you come and live with me for the next three weeks. During that time, you'll have a chance to get to know me as well as get to know the lifestyle that I live. A lifestyle that could one day be yours if you so wish it. And, once those three weeks are over, you tell the three of us what decision you've come to. If you feel like you'd rather continue to live with the Hitsugaya family, then I'll happily send you on your way. And, if the situation were reversed and you decided to stay with me, I'm sure the Hitsugaya's would also do the same. So what do you say, Momo-chan? Will you allow me the chance to offer you the world?"

Hinamori sat in silence as she thought about her uncle's proposal. While she pondered his offer, Mrs. Hitsugaya, Futari, and Toshiro stared intently at her. All of the tension in the room was currently directed right at her. It was so quiet, you could certainly clearly hear a pin drop if one happened to fall on the floor.

After what felt like the longest minute of their lives, Hinamori came to a decision. "Alright," she said as she addressed her uncle. "I'll come live with you for the next three weeks."

"Oh that's so wonderful, Momo-chan! I'm so happy-" Futari cheerfully began, only to be interrupted by Hinamori signaling to him that she wasn't yet finished talking.

"But, I have two conditions. One, I'm still allowed to attend my classes at my university. I don't want to fall behind, after all." she stated as she held up one finger. Seeing her uncle nod to signal his agreement to her first condition, she continued. "Two, I'm allowed to see Oba-san and Hitsugaya-kun whenever I want during these three weeks." she finished as she held up a second finger.

"Why, that's perfectly okay with me!" Futari exclaimed as he stood up. "Oh, that's just wonderful! Tell you what, I'll stop by again tomorrow morning to pick you and your things up! Don't worry about packing anything other than a few pairs of clothes and some personal items. I'll make sure to ask one of the maids to prepare a room for you filled with all the essentials."

"A-Alright" Hinamori stuttered in response. Now that the realization of what she had agreed to was starting to hit her, she couldn't help but wonder if agreeing to her uncle's proposal really was a good idea. _I guess it wouldn't hurt to give him a chance at least_ she thought as she tried to shake the doubt from her mind.

"Well, now that that's settled, I think it's time I took my leave. I'll be here by 11am tomorrow to pick you up, my dear Momo-chan!" Futari exclaimed as he began to head towards the front door. "See you tomorrow!" he added before exiting the house.

* * *

Once he left, a heavy silence filled the room. Hinamori looked to her left to see Mrs. Hitsugaya gently gathering everyone's plates before heading into the kitchen to clean them. Desperate to not be left alone in the room with Toshiro while this pregnant silence surrounded them, Hinamori called out to the elderly Hitsugaya. "Oh, I can take care of that, Oba-san. You cooked after all."

Unfortunately, Mrs. Hitsugaya didn't seem to register Hinamori's plea to not to be left alone with Toshiro. "Oh, it's fine dear. Don't you worry about a thing."

 _Great…_ Hinamori thought to herself as her small window of opportunity closed. _Now,_ _I wonder just how mad he is_ she continued as she slowly turned her gaze towards her childhood friend.

Toshiro's expression was neutral as he stared down the spot where his plate once was. However, the tiny gleam in his eyes managed to give away just how angry he felt at the moment. Hinamori internally winced. She had a feeling that he wouldn't be too happy about her choice to temporarily move in with her stranger of an uncle, and it seemed that she was correct. Deciding it was best to say something rather than remain in this uncomfortable silence, Hinamori spoke.

"Hey, so, um, it seems like you won't have to worry about me waking you up in the middle of the night for the next little while, huh?" she said as she desperately smiled at him in the hopes of relieving the tension in the room.

Toshiro said nothing in response. Then, just as Hinamori was about to try saying something else, he abruptly stood up and left the room.

* * *

 **There you have it, the end of chapter three!**

 **Now that everything's been set up, it's time for the HitsuHina moments to shine!**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading! And, if you have time, I'd like to hear what some of you think of the story so far. I know that I've yet to really get into it, but it would be nice to hear what you all think so far. While I do pretty much have the story all planned out, I am open to suggestions if any of you have any.**

 **~ H-Mira**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Toshiro stayed in his room for the rest of the evening. Nothing could be heard from his room, which only served to unsettle those outside, especial Hinamori since she knew that she was the cause of his current behaviour. While she had wanted to try knocking on his door to see if he was alright, she knew that there was nothing she could say to him that would make him feel any less angry. After all, she had agreed to go through with her uncle s proposal and she was a person of her word. So, she settled for shooting quick glances at his room while packed her things for the following morning.

When the morning finally arrived, Toshiro had still yet to leave his room. This left Hinamori and Mrs. Hitsugaya to be the ones to bring the few things that were packed doors stairs and in front of the main door. While they hadn't necessarily needed his help since nothing was overly heavy, his lack of presence was definitely felt, especially by Hinamori who remained silent as Mrs. Hitsugaya helped her bring her things downstairs.

"Don't worry, my dear," Mrs. Hitsugaya began as she gave Hinamori a comforting smile. "Toshiro just needs some time to adjust to things. After all, I'm sure that he, just like me, had never thought the day would come when you would leave us to be with another family."

"But you two will always be my family, Oba-san! Always!" Hinamori exclaimed as she answered the elderly Hitsugaya. "Even if I do end up staying with Ryotaro-san, nothing will ever change that!"

"I know, Momo. I know" Mrs. Hitsugaya replied with a slight smile. "And I know Toshiro knows that too. He's just being stubborn right now, is all. Just like a pouting child, he's acting as though everything will go away if he simply hides in his room. So, please, don't be too hard on the boy. With a bit of time to adjust to how things will be from now on, I'm sure he'll be back to his usual self in no time."

Hinamori merely nodded in response, still unconvinced. While the elderly Hitsugaya did noticed this, she thought it'd be best if she didn't say anymore on the subject. With a simple shake of her head, Mrs. Hitsugaya went back to silently helping Hinamori with her things.

Just as the two had finished bringing everything downstairs, the doorbell rung. With a sudden pit in her stomach, Hinamori slowly opened the door to reveal her smiling uncle.

"Well, good morning Momo, Hitsugaya-san!" Futari exclaimed as he dazzled them both with a smile. After taking a moment to survey the room, he added "Now where is that boy? I was half looking forward to seeing his scowling face this morning, you know."

"Oh, um, Hitsugaya-kun is..." Hinamori began as her gaze drifted off to the side. Noticing the uncomfortable tension forming in the room, Futari was quick to change the subject.

"Oh! You already have all your things packed! Perfect!" he suddenly exclaimed as he gestured to the bags at his feet. "I'll go get the driver to carry your things to my car." he added before leaving the two women alone once more.

"Well, it looks like this is it, my dear." Mrs. Hitsugaya began as she turned to face Hinamori. "Please, do take good care of yourself and know that I will miss you dearly."

"Oba-san..." Hinamori began as she was brought into a warm hug by her surrogate grandmother. "I'll miss you so much..." she added as she began to feel tears swell up in her eyes.

"Now, now, don't cry, dear" Mrs. Hitsugaya whispered in the young girl's ear. "Think of this as a new adventure, something to look forward to."

"I-I know, but..." Hinamori muttered into the elderly Hitsugaya's shoulder.

"And if you ever need a home to come back to, know that you are always welcomed here, Momo." Mrs. Hitsugaya stated as she held Hinamori tighter. "Now, go experience the world with a bright smile on your face."

"I-I will!" Hinamori replied as she released herself from her surrogate grandmother's embrace. Then, after giving a short nod to Mrs. Hitsugaya, she walked outside to join her uncle.

"Ah, there you are, Momo!" Futari exclaimed as he saw his niece emerge from the house. "The last of your things have just been put away, so we're ready to leave when you are."

With another nod, Hinamori began to approach the vehicle, only to be interrupted by a sudden voice shouting from the second story of the Hitsugaya household.

"Oi, Bed-wetter, you weren't actually going to leave without saying goodbye now, were you?" a voice bellowed from from up high. Turning back around towards the house, Hinamori saw her childhood smirking at her from his window on the second floor.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" Hinamori exclaimed as she looked up at her at him, too surprised to call him on his use of the nickname. "W-What are you doing?"

"I'm seeing you off, what else does it look like I m doing?" Toshiro replied as he looked down at his baffled friend. "Here, catch!" he added as he threw something down at her.

Hinamori obliged as caught what was thrown at her. Looking down at her hands, she noticed that he had thrown a small dark blue pouch at her. "What's this...?" she muttered as she continued to stare down at the object in her hands. Just as she was about to open it, Toshiro spoke again.

"O-Open it later, okay?! And when I say later, I mean when you're alone, got it?!" he yelled as a slight shade of pink made its way to his cheeks. Seeing his childhood friend nod in response, he decided to continue. "A-Anyway, um, see you at class tomorrow, I suppose..." he added as he ran one of his hands through his messy white hair.

Hinamori nodded once again. "See you at class tomorrow!" she repeated as she waved at him. After he lazily waved back, she turned around and went inside her uncle's vehicle with Toshiro's gift tightly in hand.

As soon as she was inside, the car drove off. Toshiro and his grandmother merely watched in silence as the car drove further and further away, until it was out of sight completely.

After a moment had passed, Mrs. Hitsugaya broke the silence. "So, what did you give Momo, dear?" she asked as a knowing smile made its way onto her face.

Although her grandson couldn't see her face very well, he could tell by the tone of her voice what she was implying. "I-It was nothing!" he quickly replied as he felt his inner temperature rise once again. "It was just something I bought a while back but never gave to her, okay!?"

"Hmm... If you say so." his grandmother replied with a knowing smirk still on her face. _Looks like he finally decided to give it to her_ she thought as she recalled the time she had walked in on her grandson placing a certain object into similar looking dark blue pouch.

Noticing that his grandmother wasn't going to say anything more, Toshiro closed his window and retreated back into the house. Soon after, his grandmother did the same as she walked back inside the house and closed the front door.

* * *

Despite what her childhood friend had said, Hinamori's curiosity got the better of her as she opened the pouch he had given her. _I know he said to be alone, but I'm by myself in the backseat of the car, so that's close enough, right?_ she thought as she tried to justify her current actions.

Once she had opened the pouch and could see what was inside of it, her lips parted slightly in surprise. Noticing that there was also a note within the pouch, she picked it up and began to read it.

 _So that you don't forget where you came from._  
 _-Toshiro_

Although the note was short, it still managed to make a small smile escape Hinamori's lips. _Shiro-chan..._ she thought to herself as she looked back and forth from the note to the gift within the pouch.

So caught up in the gift her childhood friend had given her, she hadn't noticed her uncle trying to talk to her from the front passenger's seat. As he finally decided to turn around and look back at her, he caught sight of the gentle smile escaping his niece's lips as she stared down at the gift the younger Hitsugaya had given her.

 _This could be trouble..._ he thought to himself before turning his attention back towards the front of the vehicle. They were silent the rest of the drive back to the Futari mansion.

* * *

Half an hour later, they had finally arrived at the Futari mansion. Looking out of the backseat window, Hinamori stared in awe at the house in front of her. Never before had she seen a house so big and majestic. _And to think, this is where I'm going to be staying for the next three weeks_ she thought as she continued to examine the house in front of her.

Noticing the look on his niece's face, Futari smirked. "Come, Momo dear. The inside is even more impressive than the outside" he said before exiting the vehicle.

"A-Alright!" Hinamori stuttered before following her uncle's lead and exiting the vehicle. As she was about to go the the back of the car to grab her things, she felt her uncle place a hand on her shoulder.

"Let the driver handle that" he stated as looked down at his short niece. "Now, let's begin the grand tour, shall we?" he added as he motioned her towards the front door of the mansion. Nodding, Hinamori followed her uncle inside.

Once inside, Hinamori's jaw slightly dropped. Her uncle had been right; the inside _was_ much more impressive than the outside. The entrance lead into a giant room with an elegant chandelier hanging overhead. There was also an enormous staircase at the back of the room that lead onto the second floor of the two-story mansion.

"This place is amazing..." Hinamori muttered to herself as she stared at her surroundings in awe.

"Well, of course it is!" Futari exclaimed as watched his niece take in her surroundings. "As the head of the Futari group, I wouldn't settle for anything less! Now, let me give you the grand tour, my dear."

After getting another nod in response from his niece, Futari dragged Hinamori along for a tour of his mansion.

* * *

Throughout the tour, Hinamori couldn't help but feel even more impressed than she had been originally. The more she got to see of her new home, the more impressed she became.

"And this will be your room, Momo" Futari stated as they had concluded their tour in front of a room on the second floor. "I've already asked the maids to bring your things up, so they should already be there."

"Alright" Hinamori replied as she opened the door to her new room. Inside, was a room that worthy of a princess. With the elegant decorations and the king sized bed, Hinamori could hardly believe that this room was to be hers for the next three weeks.

Noticing the shocked expression on her face, Hinamori's uncle thought it'd be best to leave her alone to adjust to her new surroundings. "Well, I have some things I have to take care of for work tomorrow. So I'll just be leaving you to your room for now, alright? I'll be back later to pick you up for dinner."

Hinamori simply nodded in response, too mesmerized by the sight of her room to say anything. Satisfied that his niece had understood what he had said, Futari left Hinamori alone with her thoughts.

* * *

With her uncle now no longer in sight, Hinamori timidly made her way into her room. After closing the door behind her and further examining the room, she noticed her luggage at the corner of her bed. _I guess I should start unpacking my things_ she thought as she made her way to the bed.

However, once she had reached the end of the bed, she decided to simply sit down and lie on the bed instead. She concluded that she was far too exhausted by her overwhelming day to be bothered with unpacking her clothes right now.

Then, with a sudden thought, she remember the gift her childhood friend had given her earlier. With that newly formed thought in mind, she put her hand into her pocket and took out the pouch once again. And, with a gentle smile on her face, she pulled out the gift he had given her: a small necklace with a peach ordainment hanging from it.

"Thank you, Shiro-chan..." she whispered as she continued to stare fondly at the gift he had given her.

* * *

 **And that concludes chapter three!**

 **Since I now have two stories on the go, I won't be updating this one as often as I would be otherwise. However, to make up for that, I plan on making the next few chapters longer than the previous ones, so you'll all have that at least!**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **~ H-Mira**


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